How to Make your Trip less Expensive?

Hi, I'm a millennial, a nine-to-five job to pay a once-in-a-year-vacation is not on my wishing list.

Why should traveling cost you months of your salary when you can get a low-budget holiday for the same destination?

Tourist Alert!

"People are sheep" We're all drawn to the same places, the same destinations, and the same restaurants. Why? Sure, you want to see all those Google image photos in real life but make your holiday about you. What do you want to see, feel or experience on your trip? Touristic places are always more expensive. Try to escape them by looking for an alternative that offers you the same values. For example, if you like the Greek islands, avoid the big touristic ones such as SANTORINI or CRETE but focus on the ones less known such as KARPATHOS and LICHADONISIA which both have a Bahama's vibe.

Flight tickets

Now that you have chosen your destination let's start by choosing your flight. I usually use Skyscanner because they have the best flight prices. They scan all the flights and make direct online comparisons for flights and car rental. If you want to check them out click on this link: https://www.skyscanner.net

Homemade is Best

Arrange your trip the way you want it! When you contact an agency it'll always be more expensive than when you arrange it yourself. Learn more about your destination on blogs, websites or talk to people who are actually already on your travel destination. There are tons of Facebook groups where people share their stories and ask for advice. E.g. Thailand Backpackers Group on Facebook was a real help to plan out my trip to Asia. If you have questions on any destination don't hesitate to add a comment down below and I will get back to you. If I have never been to that country before I will refer you to some people I know from the travel industry who can give you local tips for your trip.

Of course, if you want your travel plans to go perfect it is still favorable to go with an agency because they will arrange everything for you, from transportation to a hotel to the local tips and tricks.

Eat - Sleep - Adventure!

Why would you commit to the eat-sleep-repeat routine? When you can have some adventure! Try to minimize the costs of food and accommodation so that you can spend some money on activities. E.g. when I traveled to Thailand, I ate Pad Thai Chicken and other local food, so I could go to the Elephant Park for exactly the same budget. Local food is always cheaper than the touristic restaurants, which is logical. You will pay much more for a beer coming from your hometown than the local beer. And in the meantime, you are experiencing the local culture and tasting new things!

When you're looking for cheap accommodation try AirBnB or Booking. They offer a lot of rooms for a small budget. Just enter your price or filter from the lowest price to the highest one, and they'll search a room for you in the area. If you're broke, there's this wonderful application called Couchsurfing! It is my favorite way to travel when my money is gone but my urge to travel is screaming for more. You can sleep at homes from locals who are also using the app when they travel. Therefore, they are offering you free accommodation. You can always earn your keep by helping out with dinner for example and having nice conversations about their culture or ask about things you can visit. If you are worrying if this is safe, well nothing is 100% but people on that application need to fill in multiple details and the ones who are "certified users" paid to get on the site and have feedback from other travelers who used their services. You can compare it a bit to an Uber service. This is an adventurous way to find accommodation but if you are not open to it doesn't worry the options above will still offer you good quality for low prices.

Thank you for reading and make sure to Fly Along!